Saving The World, and Other Hero Hobbies
by Wolve77
Summary: The name is Mahfaeraak, and it is dragon for Forever. That is not an understatement, as I have been alive for what seems to be forever. I have gone from place to place, hiding my fanged secret, but I don't turn down a chance to help others. So it begins. Together, the three Dovahkins, myself, Katklaw, and the Dovahgonian must defeat the World Eater. And remember, I love to lie.
1. Chapter 1

I only wanted to go home. It seemed like centuries since the last time I had been in Skyrim… Okay, it HAD been centuries since I was last in Skyrim, but that had nothing to do with it. However, it seemed that I had some kind of curse. First, I joined a war against a group of elves called the Thalmor. Then, I ran to Blackmarsh… Who then started a fight with Morrowind. Then I ran to Cyrodiil… Which soon became the host of a civil war. After that, I finally came home to Skyrim, and lo and behold, I get stuck in the middle of a battlefield. In the middle of a BATTLEFIELD.

So there I was, twitching and fidgeting on a wagon bound for death, led by a bunch of imperial soldiers. There were five of us in the wagon, but three were "rebels". The other 'innocent' one was a thief, a horse thief to be exact, and he was not shy about complaining.

"You looked worried, friend." One of the rebels muttered calmly. He was looking at me, but the thief answered in my place.

"Of course I'm worried! I didn't do anything!" He shrieked, "I had no part in this." Across from him there sat a young, female anthropomorphic cat, called a Kajiit. She kicked him. Her grey tabby-like fur blew silently in the cold morning air as she glared at him.

"Not you, **thief**. HER." She growled.

"You chose the wrong time to come home to Skyrim," The first rebel continued. He was young too, a Nordic man with shoulder length blonde hair. He was probably showing concern over the fact that I was wiggling and writhing in my wooden seat with my nails tearing impatiently into the seat.

"Of course she's concerned! We're all going to DIE, and she didn't even DO anything!" The thief answered for me again. I turned my red eyes to him. He seemed to shiver under my gaze.

"I'm not afraid of death… My only fear in the world is this… this… this… Contraption! This foolish insolent contraption!" I shouted.

"You're… scared of carriages?" The Kajiit snickered. I glared at her.

"I won't judge you, friend." The Nord muttered, "However, that is an odd fear…"

"I pleaded that they chain me to the side. PLEASE! I WANT TO WALK!" I shouted at one of the soldier guards. He ignored me. The Kajiit and the thief snickered. It became silent.

Skyrim hadn't changed much. Snow dusted some areas of the ground, and proud evergreens lined the road. The road's terrain caused the wagon to sway, and on some occasions, made the occupants of it fly up several inches. Mountains could be seen in the distance, leading to the clouds, seeming to extend to the heavens above.

"These will be our last moments… We may as well learn each other's names and pass into Sov'ngarde as friends…" The calm Nord eventually said.

"I'm KatKlaw!" The kajiit eagerly introduced herself.

"That doesn't sound very Kajiiti…" I muttered.

"SHUT UP!"

"My name is Ralof." The Nord introduced himself. Then he nodded towards the final man in the carriage, "That is Jarl Ulfric Stormcloak." This man had a formal outfit on. I recognized the name from the war. He was one of the best Nord warriors on the battlefield, and put his heart into each clash. Now, however, this former war hero sat bound and gagged.

"And… how about you?" I asked, turning to the thief. He quickly turned away.

"I want no affiliation with any of you." He hissed. I shrugged.

"As for my name…" I contributed, "I don't really have one. I'm an orphan. However, most people just call me Mahfaeraak."

"And you made fun of MY name." The kajiit snickered.

"Bad luck has been your friend for many years." Ralof noted.

"Heheh, more than you know." I chuckled. Then the cart rolled into a town. As we entered the walls, Ralof spoke again.

"I used to pursue a woman's heart in this town. She made the best berry ale… Back then, these stone walls made me feel so safe…" He muttered disheartened. Citizens gawked at us from their porches. Young children were pulled away by their parents like we had some sort of disease. Soon, we came to a stop.

We were quickly pulled off of the wagon into a group of about ten people. The names of the other prisoners were being recorded, and they were pulled away.

"Jarl Ulfric Stormcloak of Windhelm." Our specific recorder called out. The Jarl walked to join the others. "Ralof of Riverwood." Ralof walked off as well. "KatKlaw from Kynesgrove." The Kajiit held her head high and also joined the others. Then, it was just me and the thief. "Lokir of Rorikstead."

"No!" The thief objected, "No! I'm not with them! I'm not going to die!" He took off running.

"Arrows!" The commanding officer shouted. I heard the vague twang of bowstrings. "Fire!" Lokir dropped down to the ground.

"Foolish human…" I muttered. "Mahfaeraak." I told the man before he could ask. He quickly started to look over his list. He looked at the officer.

"She's not on the list." He muttered.

"Look again!" She ordered. He searched the list three more times.

"She's not on the list." He repeated. She grabbed the list and looked over it. She frowned and glared at me.

"To the block." She snapped.

"I'm sorry…" He muttered, truly apologetic, "You picked a bad time to come home to Skyrim."

"I'm fine, as long as I die here at home." I smiled at him. He smiled weakly back. I walked over to join the rest. One of the Legion commanders was talking to Jarl Ulfric. Ulfric took it well. I'm sure Ulfric was being spat on with how the commander shouted. When he finished, a young priestess started to speak. The tension in the air made it hard for me to focus on what was being said, and before I knew it, a man was hanging his own head over the stone "block".

"Let's get this over with!" He shouted angrily.

"As you wish." The legate growled. She rested her foot on his back. The executioner lifted his axe. He dropped it, and blood spurted everywhere. I felt my heartbeat quicken, and I could feel myself drooling. As usual, the scent awakened something inside of me. The legate began to look for the next rebel to lose the game of life. Her finger landed on me. "You."

I nonchalantly walked over to the stone. I kneeled beside the block and placed my head over the bucket. The man's head was still in there, with the same smug expression it had before his untimely end. The ground echoed the call of approaching winter, cold and hard. The Stormcloaks became silent as they watched, knowing that I was innocent.

I felt her heel dig into my back. The scent of fresh blood, fresh death, filled my nostrils. Then, in the distance, I smelled something else. Smoke. Fire. In the distance, I heard the echo of a fierce roar. As the executioner raised his blade I felt a rush of heat. Someone screamed. Something burned. One word rested on my tongue. "Alduin."

"Come on, you idiot! Do you want to die?!" Katklaw's voice shouted. She grabbed my collar and dragged me into a nearby tower.

"This can't be happening?! I thought that dragons were just… were just Legends!" Someone gasped.

"Legends don't burn down villages…" Ulfric answered calmly.

"'And the Scrolls have foretold, of black wings in the cold, that when brothers wage war come unfurled. Alduin, Bane of Kings, ancient shadow unbound, with a hunger to swallow the world." I muttered airily.

"A-are you saying **that** was Alduin?!" Somebody gasped.

"It doesn't matter which dragon it is. All that matters is that it was a dragon. It is a danger to everyone, and chances are against our survival." I muttered. I quickly started up the tower's stone stairs. I heard a loud noise from my right, from beyond the wall, that caused me to freeze in spot. Suddenly, the wall split apart, revealing the dragon's large head. The force pushed me over, and several stones fell on top of me. Fire burst from the monster's mouth. When it finally flew away, I wiggled back out. Everyone had disappeared.

The hole in the wall revealed a hole in the roof of the next building over. I took a deep breath and jumped inside. The floor creaked below me, even threatening to break. I quickly made it out of the burning building and hit the hard ground.

"… Get away from there!" A call echoed. A child ran away from a spot just as the dragon landed. It killed the man who had beckoned the child away. Then the man who had asked my name noticed me.

"You still alive, prisoner?" He asked surprised. I ran up to him. "Stay close to me if you want to live." I followed quickly after him. As we passed through a narrow burning passage, I pulled him close against the wall. The dragon landed on the wall. Had the soldier actually taken off as he had planned, the dragon would have seen him and he would be dead. He thanked me, and we continued on. Soon, we came to a clearing, where Ralof and KatKlaw were waiting.

"Ralof, you traitor!" The soldier shouted.

"We're escaping!" Ralof snapped back, "We are going to get out of here alive, and you're not going to stop us!" They started to argue very loudly. I kept my eye on the dragon as it swiped a man from the top of the great wall. It flew him high up into the air, and dropped him.

"Hey!" I shouted, pointing at the huge creature as it started to come back for more, "How about we become friends for a few minutes so we don't end up as a chewy little snack for that overgrown Argonian?!"

"Fine," The imperial snarled before grabbing my arm, "but I want you to stick with me."

"Here's an idea," I muttered, "How about we stick together until we are safe. Let's work as a team to survive and worry about hating each other after we know that we're not going to be eaten by a BIG, FAT, UGLY, SON OF A BITCH DRAGON!" The dragon roared loudly as I spoke. The others looked at me in shock. "LET'S GO!"

We soon ran off into the nearby building, the fort's keep. "Come here," both Ralof and the soldier stated suddenly, "I'll free your hands." KatKlaw, who was still bound, took Ralof, who was unbound, up on his offer. The imperial soldier came to me. To be free was a sort of security.

We shared the room with the corpse of a dead Stormcloak. Ralof kneeled beside him and checked his pulse. "May we meet again in Sov'ngarde." I heard him mutter. He turned to KatKlaw. "Take Gunjar's gear. He won't be needing it where he's going." He ordered solemnly. The Imperial opened a nearby gate.

"There's armor and weapons in here too. We're probably going to need them." He stated. I followed him into the barracks. He dug out some light Imperial armor and a heavy Imperial sword. Having gathered everything we could use, we continued onward. Neither KatKlaw nor Ralof had waited for us to return.

"Well, isn't that nice… Here I was thinking, 'Wow, these rebels are surprisingly nice to me, even though I'm not one of them'. Good to know they'll leave me to burn like anyone else." I mumbled with a laugh.

"You wouldn't happen to know anything about surviving dragon attacks, would you?" My companion was trying to add humor to the situation. I chuckled.

"Enough to know we shouldn't stay in one spot. Let's keep moving, maybe we can find a way out. My name is Mahfaeraak, by the way."

"Hadvar." He introduced himself quickly before we continued though the keep. The silence made it possible to hear the chaos outside. The muffled sound of screams and the dragon's roar…

It wasn't long before we came to another barracks area. KatKlaw and Ralof had both already been there. The proof for this was with the two corpses that littered the ground. Both of them were young imperial soldiers, stripped down to their loincloths, without a weapon. Other than that, the room was almost completely empty, though some tipped over tin mugs and hastily closed barrels proved more so that our Stormcloak companions had been there, and raided this area generously. I grabbed the only possibly useful items I could find; a rabbit haunch, a pheasant thigh, a few potatoes, tomatoes, and apples… Not much, but it would serve us well if things became too much worse.

The next room that we came across wasn't too different. Rather than a barrack, it was a torture room. The two corpses that littered the ground were obviously the commander of all things torture and his young assistant. Again, both were dead and nearly naked. In the room, there were three cages. One had a skeleton, another had a mage's corpse, and the last was entirely empty. In front of the mage's cage was a large pile of snapped and broken lockpicks. Hadvar muttered something behind me before putting something in my hand.

"See if you can open it. We might find something useful." He muttered. I quickly went to work on the lock, and seconds later the door snapped open.

"Nothing to it." I snickered.

"Th-that's quite a talent…" He muttered in a kind of shock.

"I grew up as a street rat. You either learn to pick a lock, or die trying." I chuckled. "Or… you learn to pick it in the jail where you were placed for picking a lock. That was fun… Chaos…"

The next noteworthy room was almost cave-like. There was a silent, pond-like body of water, along with approximately 5 dead Imperial soldiers… and an angry living Stormcloak. "You Imperial Bastards!" She shouted angrily as she ran at us with her axe drawn. I struck her down before either of us could be injured. Ralof and KatKlaw were nowhere to be found. I took the Stormcloak's bow and her arrows before we continued through the now cave-like structure.

"Crap… The bridge is out…" Hadvar cursed. There in front of us was a large gap where it seemed obvious that bridge would go.

"They're thorough, aren't they? It seems they don't want anyone else to make it out alive…" I muttered. I looked down at the remains of the bridge before jumping to join them.

"Where are you going?" Hadvar demanded.

"Look, there's water flowing through here, see? It originates from there, that little gap in the wall. Then it flows through this huge hole in the wall. There's an old saying that all waters flow to the sea. We might as well try to follow this one out. It would give us a better chance than just standing here." I answered impatiently. I ran into the darkness, following the water. I heard a splash behind me as Hadvar jumped down.

_Splash!_

Each step I took kicked up a small amount of water. Each step I took, I noticed the water flow growing wider and wider until… Hadvar's arm jutted out to stop me. I looked up at what he had made me stop for. There, about 17 feet in front of us, was a large sleeping bear. It was, as much as I could see, waking up.

"I think the cat and the traitor snuck passed it…" He muttered. I nodded. I hid behind a nearby cart and prepared my bow. "You sure you can-"

_Twang!_

Before he could even finish his sentence, I shot my arrow at the creature. It practically jumped up, quickly found me, and started to dash at me. I pulled my arrow again and shot through its skull. It collapsed to the ground. I sighed calmly, and went to retrieve my arrows. Other than the last twitch of its body, it didn't move anymore.

"Nice shooting. Another street trick?" Hadvar chuckled.

"I suppose…" I answered calmly. I looked onward. At the end of the tunnel, a light shown. Sunlight. As we reached the mouth of the cave, I held my companion back. One last roar filled the air as the dragon flew overhead. Soon, everything was quiet. It was all over. For now.


	2. Chapter 2

"Home sweet Home!" I shouted to the sky, "I am back, Skyrim! I am back!"

"We should probably split up now." Hadvar advised. I shook my head.

"I disagree. If that thing comes back we won't stand a chance alone." I answered, "At least together, we stand a better chance than apart. Where are you headed for, Hadvar?"

"Riverwood." He replied gruffly, "My uncle lives there, and he needs to know what happened. Where were you planning on going?"

"Dawnstar… Or Falkreath. I spent my childhood in Dawnstar, but my adolescent years in Falkreath. I thought it would do me some good to remember where I came from." I laughed nervously, "But, let's go to Riverwood together. There is some safety in numbers, after all."

"Scared of the dragon?" Hadvar almost seemed to mock me.

"No! I'm a full grown Nord woman."

"You're full grown? Seem a little short to me."

"Hey!" We laughed as we walked through the forest area. It was good to laugh and clear ourselves up of that tension that we had previously been building up. It seemed like an eternity since I last had a good conversation with a friend.

"What exactly is that mark on your neck?" He asked suddenly. I looked down at what he was pointing to. It was a birthmark that I had on my neck, shaped like a hand print.

"Hmm? It's a birthmark. Haven't you ever seen one before?" I chuckled.

"Strange… It reminds me of the Dark Brotherhood's mark…" He muttered.

"I heard that the Dark Brotherhood is slowly dying out. A few people suggested that they found an old tomb dedicated to the Night Mother in some Cyrodiilian town. Bravil, I think. I went there once… They used to have this lovely statue."

"You're quite the traveler, aren't you?" He chuckled.

"I used to be… but then those damned Thalmor had to rekindle the hatred between Man and Mer, ultimately awakening a never ending loop of death and- Oh hey, standing stones!" I ran over to the familiar stones. Each one stood about 3 or 4 feet high, and while most places only had one, this area had three.

Standing stones were placed by the ancient inhabitants of Skyrim, and their original purpose is shrouded in mystery. Each stone has a name and an image that corresponds with one of the constellations of Nirn. These three were the Warrior Stone, the Thief Stone, and the Apprentice Stone. It is rumored that each one gives you access to special abilities in your mind that are usually inaccessible.

"Let's rest here for a moment." I suggested. He nodded and sat down with me.

"What were you arrested for?" He asked.

"Apple?" I pulled an apple from my shirt. He laughed, taking it and cleaning it off. "Let's see… After spending a long time in Cyrodiil, I became tired of the war. I started to miss the calm snows of Skyrim. Ah, some calmness I came home to! I crossed the border right into the middle of an Imperial Ambush! I was captured and bound before I could explain. When I tried to plead my innocence, they wouldn't even listen to me!"

"I knew you were innocent." He growled, "I will ensure that General Tullius pardons you for your help here."

"That sounds perfect." I cheered as I bit into an apple of my own. The Imperial smiled calmly.

We quickly finished our snack and continued towards Riverwood. I was relieved when we crossed onto a stone path. Even footing always makes a journey easier. Suddenly, the howl of a wolf echoed through the forest. Before I could prepare myself, four of them surrounded us.

"Shoot." Hadvar groaned. Two wolves leapt at me as the other two leapt at him. I struck out my two in a single slash of my sword before turning to take his down. He laughed slightly. "The Imperial Army could use someone like you." He offered.

"I'm not into politics." I answered, shrugging my shoulders, "No, I think I'd rather stay out of it."

We continued in an awkward silence until we finally reached the small town of Riverwood. I had travelled through it before, but only for a short period of time. I didn't even stop to explore it further. That was then… before… it…

Hadvar quickly made his way to the town blacksmith. "Uncle Alvor!" He called out.

"Hadvar, what are you doing here? I thought you were stationed in Helgen." The elder man grumbled wearily.

"I was, but… We shouldn't talk about it out here. We need to go inside." Hadvar answered. He motioned for me to go in the house. Just as the door closed behind me, I saw a young, grey Kajiit walking alongside a young Nord. KatKlaw and Ralof had arrived.

"Hadvar?!" The woman inside the house gasped, "Wh-what are you doing here? Who is that girl?"

"Th-this is Mahfaeraak. She saved my life. Helgen was… Helgen was attacked."

"Those damned Stormcloaks!" Alvor snapped.

"No. For once, it wasn't the Stormcloaks. It was… Uncle Alvor, a dragon attacked Helgen." Hadvar explained. The woman gasped.

"A… dragon…? Hadvar, if you came back here drunk again, I'll-"

"Alvor, Sir! He's not lying, nor is he drunk. I assure you, Helgen was attacked by a dragon, and now only ashes remain." I interrupted.

"Are you sure?!" The woman demanded.

"I'm positive, Aunt Sigrid. It was… horrifying." Hadvar held his head and sat down in the nearest chair, "It devoured many of the other soldiers… I'm not sure if any others made it out alive." By then, a young girl had come into the room and sat beside Hadvar. I assumed that she was his cousin.

"Both of you must be exhausted. You, go sit. I'll bring you some food. After that, you can rest here." Sigrid practically pushed me into one of the wooden chairs and made me sit as she returned to the pot over the fire.

"What did the dragon look like?" Alvor asked in hushed tones. Hadvar shook his head.

"I don't know… I was trying my best to help the civilians get to safety. I didn't dare look at the monster." He answered.

"His scales were black as night and his eyes were red as blood." I described the dragon I had seen, "Spikes lined his back. His black wings were so vast that they seemed to block out the sun, turn day to night. I hope I'm wrong… but I have reason to believe that he, that monster, might be the Alduin of legend. The great World Eater." A bowl of soup was placed in front of me.

"Eat up." Sigrid ordered.

"I-I couldn't possibly accept such hospitality." I objected.

"It is the least we could do." Alvor stated persuasively. I sighed as I started to eat. Hot. The food was very, very hot. I swallowed it hesitantly.

"Is something wrong?" Sigrid asked.

"N-no, ma'am." I coughed, "I'm just… not used to warm food. Most of what I have been eating was cold…"

"I'm sorry, dear. If I could get you something else, I would."

"Don't worry about it. I'll be fine."

"So, your name is Mahfaeraak? Where does that name come from?" Sigrid seemed to be attempting to change the subject.

"It's... It's dragon tongue. It means forever." I answered.

"Dragon? How did your parents know dragon?"

"I'm sorry, Alvor sir. I would rather leave the past in the past."

"I understand. I'm sure we all wish we could leave the past behind us." Alvor responded calmly.

"You said you were from Dawnstar." Hadvar added.

"Actually… I'm not. I'm from near Dawnstar." I chuckled calmly.

"How old are you?" Sigrid asked. I stopped and thought for a moment.

"Old enough." I answered. Sigrid accepted that answer as if she understood my secrecy. If she knew just how old I was… How dangerous I was… They would all be afraid. I would have to hide again. But she didn't know who I was… They didn't know what I was… and perhaps that is best.

The sun fell several hours later. I insisted on not staying inside the house, which was already full to the brim. I quickly left the house and stayed at the inn. Half of the inn's occupants seemed to be in a drunken stupor. However, I couldn't help but notice the stance of one specific woman in the place. Her stance and form of walking was of such that I had not seen since the White-Gold Concordat. It was that of the former guardians of the emperor, and former slayers of dragons: A Blade. Her cautious eyes never moved away from me during that evening, except for when I looked directly at her. I slept well in spite of this fact.

I awoke early the next morning, at the same time as the Blade, whose name was Delphine. She was surprised to see me awake, but I wasn't surprised that she was.

"Did you sleep well, stranger?" She asked.

"Yes, thank you. After the day I had yesterday, it was wonderful to have a warm bed. Don't tell anyone that I said this, but… a dragon attacked Helgen. It was a horror to watch." Her eyes seemed to slit, "It set the entire town aflame. M'lady, if any traveler stops here on their way to Helgen, please warn them against the trek."

"A-a Dragon? Are you sure?"

"Yes. A dragon with black wings and red eyes. It was a frightening sight to behold." I muttered. I sighed and started out the door.

"If there are dragons about then be careful." She advised.

"The same to you, Delphine. Don't let your sword arm become ill practiced. Right now, we may need the Blades more than ever." Her eyes went wide as the door clicked shut.

The sun hadn't even awoken yet. Still, I could immediately hear the sound of metal being pounded at the forge. The rhythmic clanging filled the air with a sharp metallic ringing. "Good morning, Alvor!" I called as I approached the old man at the forge. I was cautious and stood at least 3 feet away from the fire.

"You don't sleep long, do you?" He asked gruffly.

"I have no need, nor do I have the desire, to lounge around in bed all day. There's a whole world out there, and I am meant to explore it." I laughed.

"Well, I won't keep you here." The old blacksmith answered, "However, I must ask a favor of you before you leave." His dark eyes stared at me.

"What would that be, sir?"

"Please go to Whiterun and inform the Jarl of the dragon incident. According to Hadvar, the monster was heading this way. We have no guards in this town to keep us safe. Please ask him to send help for us." He seemed to be pleading for my help. I nodded calmly.

"I will try. For all the help you and your wife have given me, I promise I will try." I bowed my head before I took off towards the next town.

I am prone to losing track of myself. Once, I became lost for an entire year. I later learned that I had been wandering in a land now called Morrowind. So, to keep with my accident-prone lifestyle, I became lost. One moment, I was lazily following the marked path. The next, I was wandering the woods without knowing where to go. I wandered seemingly endlessly for at least a day. At some point, I passed out.

I woke up in what seemed to be a medical tent of a camp. I blinked a few times to think about the night before until a young imperial soldier came in. "Oh, you're awake." He said with a smile. I carefully sat up so that I could see him better.

"Wh-what happened? Where am I? How did I-"

"Calm down! Calm down! I'll answer your questions one at a time." He snapped. I did as he asked, and became perfectly silent. "One of our men found you on his way to Whiterun. You were passed out in the middle of an empty field."

"In the middle of an… Why am I not surprise?" I moaned.

"They noticed your armor and thought that you were one of us. We later learned that you are not, but we couldn't turn you away. You're at our camp right now."

"Your men were on their way to Whiterun?" I stood up immediately.

"Yes, to obtain weapons from the local blacksmith." The stranger answered.

"Is there any possible way that I could go with you on your next journey? I have an urgent message from Riverwood for the Jarl." I insisted, "It's about Helgen."

"Helgen?! Wh-what happened at Helgen?! Wait, please allow me to find my Superior!" He bustled out of the tent. Moments later, he returned with a Legate, his boss.

"Did something happen at Helgen?" The man asked. I looked him dead in the eye.

"Helgen is lost."

"Damn Stormcloaks!" The legate snapped. I shook my head.

"It wasn't the Stormcloaks."

"Then… who?! What?!"

"It was a dragon."

"You're mad!" The young medical aide shouted. The older legate man stared knowingly at me.

"If you don't believe me, ask Hadvar in Riverwood. We escaped the town together. I have to get to Whiterun and speak to the jarl. The lives of every man, woman, and child in Riverwood might depend on it."

"Soldier," The Legate turned to his subordinate, "Prepare the horses. We're leaving for Whiterun as soon as she is ready." He turned to look at me. "Whiterun has been shut down to all visitors. We will help you get in, but you must go to the Jarl alone."

"I understand sir." I answered, "Thank you so much." He placed some armor on the end of the bed.

"Come outside when you are ready to leave." He ordered. I nodded.

"Thank you."

• • • • • • • •

"Just let me in!" You could hear the shouts echoing before you even reached the city's outskirts, "Please, I need to speak to the Jarl! Hey, are you even listening to me right now?! LET ME IN! HEY!"

The imperial soldiers and I were just reaching the town gates when we saw the Kajiit woman that I knew as Katklaw.

"Whiterun is closed. The Jarls Orders. No Visitors." One of the guards growled curtly.

"You don't understand! I-"

"We need in." The Legate told the guard. The guard glared.

"Nobody is allowed inside. No legion soldiers, no Stormcloak soldiers, nobody." He growled.

"We are not here for a fight. We come for weapons, to further help the city prosper. Please, allow us to enter." The guard looked at his companion, then to the legate.

"Alright, but don't start nothing." He growled, opening the vast door to the city. My friends and I entered. "Not you, cat." I heard behind me.

"She's with me, sir. I sent her here ahead of us to see if she could get the gate open before we arrived. My apologies if she caused any trouble." I turned around. Though he had a stupefied expression, he quickly dropped the Kajiit's tail. She quickly ran inside after me. The door soon closed with a loud thud.

The bustling city of Whiterun laid itself out before us. Because of its centralized location inside of Skyrim, the city blossomed into an important city of commerce. Inside the walls, you could smell the flames of the forge, body odor, and the varying scents of food and treats from the local stores and stalls. My stomach growled.

"I thought that I would never get in…" Katklaw moaned. I pulled a potato out of my shirt and took a bite of it. The kajiit looked at me funny.

"Well, we have the same goal, don't we? Two people, survivors, will make the story of the dragon more believable, right?"

"Same goal? What makes you think we share the same goal, Imperial Scum?"

"Oh, I'm sorry. I guess you don't care about Ralof and the village of Riverwood. Oh well. I'm sure the entire village will know that they can trust the empire to-"

"Dragon's Reach is this way." She snarled, grabbing my arm and pulling me into the opposite direction that I had been going.

"Of course it is. I was just testing you." I answered snidely.

"Sure you were. I arrived at Whiterun yesterday morning, how about you?" She snapped. I stuck my tongue out at her, causing her to roll her eyes. "What are you, five?" She snarled. Soon, the vast castle of Dragon's Reach was before us.

"Did you know that Dragon's Reach is named after an event that happened many years ago when the first high-king of Skyrim, King Olaf One-Eye, trapped his rival, the dragon Numinex, within, ending the monster's reign of terror?" I muttered.

"You're an idiot." She grumbled. I blew a raspberry at her as she forced open the palace's giant wooden door. I started to hum, until the Kajiit pulled my collar. "Grow up." She growled menacingly.

There was a very angry Dunmer approaching us. Or, a very angry dark elf, if you would prefer to call them that. Personally, I prefer Dunmer. She had her sword drawn, and approached us as if we were an enemy. "Who let you in here?" She demanded.

"The guards. We have to speak to the jarl!" Katklaw snapped. The Dunmer became even more enraged.

"The Jarl is not taking visitors!" She snapped.

"We have an urgent message about Helgen and a plea for help from Riverwood. Please, fair Dunmer, let us pass." I begged. Her expression lightened slightly.

"Helgen…? Riverwood…?" She quickly grabbed my wrist and started to pull me towards the jarl.

"How did you-?!"

"Jarl Balgruuf!" The elf called, interrupting a heated argument between two men. The more decorated one of the two responded.

"What is it, Irileth?" He demanded. I could tell from his tone that he was a true Nord. His voice was strong and proud, just like my father's was.

"These two bring news from Helgen!" She answered, releasing me and walking over to the man.

"Helgen?! What is it, then? Spit it out!" He demanded.

"My Jarl," Katklaw began with a bow, "Helgen has been destroyed."

"Sir, she and I have both come directly from Riverwood. Before that, we were in Helgen… Helgen is no more."

"The Imperials there were preparing to kill several Stormcloaks-

"Including Ulfric Stormcloak himself-"

"WHEN A DRAGON ATTACKED." The kajiit put emphasis on her words so that mine would not be easily heard.

"A dragon?" The jarl gasped.

"Yes sir. It was a black dragon with huge fangs stained red with blood. It- Eek!" I shouted out in pain as the Kajiit stepped on my foot.

"And Ulfric was there? Are you sure?" He growled.

"Yes, sir." I responded. The cat pushed me over angrily.

"The last I saw, it was heading towards Riverwood. Gerdur and Hod sent me to try to get help."

"Alvor and Sigrid sent me. Riverwood is completely defenseless, and they are rightfully fearful."

"I understand."

"Jarl Balgruuf, surely you don't believe this story! Dragons haven't existed for hundreds of years, and if you move troops to Riverwood now, the Jarl of Falkreath might take it as a challenge!" The man that the jarl had been talking to previously objected.

"I will not sit idly by while my villages are burned to the ground and my people devoured." The Jarl snapped.

"There are no dragons! Dragons are just legends."

"This creature was no legend!" I snapped, "It was exactly like the pictures in the old tales of heroes. Fierce red eyes! Scales darker than the night sky and wings vast enough to blot out the sun. Its sharp fangs were long enough, and sharp enough that they just tore through flesh and bone! Jarl Balgruuf, I have not been in Skyrim since my youth, so I have no reason to try to deceive you. I am not legion or Stormcloak. I simply beg you to please help Riverwood!" I dropped to my knees and prostrated myself at his feet.

"Irileth, send some guards to Riverwood. You, on your feet!" I quickly stood up at the Jarl's order.

"Sir, you can't possibly-"

"You have done me a great service by giving me this information." He praised.

"It is always a pleasure to serve. If there's anything else I can do to help, I would be glad to do so." I offered politely. Katklaw glared at me.

"Actually, I believe my Court Wizard could us someone with your particular… talents." He muttered. Katklaw looked alarmed. "Why don't you go see him, and I'll meet you there?" I happily took off towards the wizard's room. It didn't take much to find it, just smell for the magic. The smell of Alchemy. I entered the room first, followed by the Jarl, and Katklaw trudged in last.

"Balgruuf! What can I do for you?" He asked. He had an attractive voice, but his appearance was not so appealing. Most of his face was covered by his hood.

Personally, I don't usually find Nords visually appealing, even if I am one. The men always have too much facial hair. The Imperial race of Cyrodiil, however, is almost always well-shaven. I liked Dunmer too. Really, the only species I didn't like more than Nords were High Elves, The Altmer. Most of them are rude and egotistical. I believe that most of them are so inbred that they can't even-

"I found some help for your latest adventure." The jarl introduced. I was over looking at the wizard's enchantment table, so he didn't see me. All he saw was Katklaw.

"What makes you think she won't fail like the other?" He grumbled.

"Not just her, Farengar, the other as well." Jarl Balgruuf pointed at me. The wizard jumped when he saw me. Then he shook his head.

"Oh, yes, I'm sure she'll be the perfect bait." He muttered sarcastically.

"That actually sounds like a good idea." Katklaw growled.

"So, where are we going? What am I being eaten alive by? What is her goal to bring back?" I approached the wizard with a smile.

"At least you're straightforward. I need you to go to Bleak Falls Barrow and obtain an item called the Dragonstone. I have no idea what threats you will meet in the catacombs, but it won't be weak." He explained.

"Dovahgolz…" I muttered to myself, "Where did you obtain this information?"

"An anonymous source." The man answered. I smiled.

"Fair enough," I responded, "She'll be back with the stone, and I will be being digested by some unknown threat. C'mon Katklaw, let's go!"

"You can't possibly be serious!" The kajiit objected, "This job is dangerous!"

"Danger is a myth created by mothers so that children won't hurt themselves. Trust me, I've been doing dangerous stuff since I was a kid, and I'm not dead yet."

"Apparently what doesn't kill you gives you brain damage…"

"That's the spirit!" I dragged the kajiit slowly back into the streets of Whiterun, "Now, c'mon! Don't be such a scaredy cat!"

"I'm not scared! Look, if you want to die, go on ahead! Just don't drag me with you."

"Oh, fine… I guess I'll go alone… and if I do return, I will talk of my fabulously heroic deeds, having been rewarded by the grateful Jarl. Then, I will think of you, who chose the safe-"

"Alright, already! I'll do it." She groaned, "Besides, someone has to save your cocky ass."


End file.
